In the Eye of the Raiju
by Dawn Redwood
Summary: A collection of stories through Hak's eyes. Past and present, canon and canon-compliant (mostly).
1. Chapter 1

**In the Eye of the Raiju**

Set after Chapter 123.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Hak leaned over the princess's shoulder. _Smack!_

"Owwww." Hak blew a few strands of bright red hair out of his mouth as pain split through the side of his head.

Instead of ignoring him, like as he had expected, or moving away before turning, like any human with average coordination, Yona had jumped, slamming the back of her head into his skull.

"Hak!"

"How... Does your tiny brain pack this much of a wallop?" he growled, plopping down into the grass.

"I'm sorry!" she squeaked, kneeling down next to him. "Should I get Yun?" Hak groaned, grabbing the side of his head.

"No, just… let me sit here for a moment." Her small fingers brushed over his, and he looked up into her shining eyes. "Wow, Princess…" He chuckled. "You almost look worried." She blushed.

"I hit you, so-" She stopped when he wrapped his arm around her to touch the back of her head. It brought them closer together, and Hak resisted the urge to move any further. He had promised to stop making her feel uncomfortable- "playing jokes," as she called it.

The first time she called it a joke, he had been both amused and a little hurt. Hak supposed he should be glad that she always gave him that excuse, the cover of a prankster. Someone who is always kidding around… It had given him a little more leeway, a little more nerve- until she had asked him to stop. She could probably write off almost anything he did as a joke. Almost anything.

"And you don't feel anything back there?" he murmured, twisting her soft curls through his fingertips. He looked into her eyes, and his heart skipped when he noticed she was blushing even more. _Almost as if…_

"N-no, I r-r-really don't-"

He had _promised. Promised, promised, PROMISED not to tease her._ Why did she have to make it so appealing? She had _never_ not been fun to tease. Since they were little, the sight of her flushed face drew him in- the fire in her eyes stirred something deep within him, commanded him to respond in kind.

"Are you sure?" he asked, unable to suppress a tiny smirk. "I think I feel a little bump here-" He moved his fingers gently around the back of her head, massaging lightly, struggling to keep the gesture as innocent as possible.

"Mmmm- th-that's always there."

"Is it really?" Hak supposed that could be true. "Huh." He kept the motion up, running his hand through her hair, rubbing her head, looking up at the sky, unable to meet her eyes. Worried what she might see in them. He had been having trouble, recently, hiding that wretched mix of feelings he had whenever they touched. Not that he had much faith in her observational skills at this point. All of the dragons seemed to have figured it out, and they had accompanied them for only a short few months. The princess had had _years_ to notice.

When she moved her head away, he snatched his fingers back, not wanting to give away his desire to linger. She stood up. _Am I scaring her again?_

He waited for a rebuke, or an innocent remark that would make him want to claw his eyes out and beat her over the head with the obvious. She was remarkably good at both of those.

A moment passed by. Silence. He still was not sure he wanted to look at her just yet.

"Priiiiincess," he drawled, letting his eyes trace constellations above them slowly. "Don't be creepy." He heard her smile. She stepped around behind him. "Pri-" She touched his head. His eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?" She paused, her fingers entangled in his hair. "You're coming after the rest of me, now?"

"I… was returning the favor." Staying away from the place she had already inflicted damage, she scratched his head gingerly.

"Princesses don't need to-"

"Hush, before I change my mind," she snapped.

 _What the hell,_ Hak thought. It felt good. Really, really good. Besides, how often was it that _she_ wanted to touch him? He could enjoy this, guilt-free.

"Never be it said that I disobeyed a direct order from Her Highness." He grinned cheekily as Yona scoffed.

"You're disobeying _right now_ ," she murmured, grabbing a handful of his hair and tugging roughly. A slight groan-surprised, aroused- escaped Hak's lips.

 _Shit._

She stopped. _Shit, shit, shit._

It was not fair. He had been the perfect gentleman, hadn't he? He had backed off, given her space- _and she always managed to close that gap. By pure_ accident _._

He must have been a very bad person in a previous life.

"Hak?" Her tone was completely indecipherable.

"Yeah?" His voice nearly cracked. His throat was dry.

"You okay?"

"Besides you yanking my head around?" _Because that had provoked several other responses in addition to the groan._ "You really are trying to finish me off."

"Hehe." She patted his head vigorously, jarringly different from the sensations a moment before. Hak did not mind- he really needed a mood-killer now, for his personal sanity. "Sorry. I better go before I get myself in trouble."

Hak let her retreat first. When he was sure she was gone, he leaned over, fists clenched.

He really needed to stop bumping heads with her.


	2. Chapter 2

**In the Eye of the Raiju**

* * *

"You are Son Hak. You will be the next general of the Wind Tribe." Mundok's words were supposed to be an honor. Hak knew that. But they sounded heavier than that. And he had no desired to be locked up in a generals' meeting on a sunny day like today. That was why he had evaded his Gramp's clutches and found himself wandering the castle instead.

He had not been here in awhile. Soo-woon was off somewhere- he was never in the castle anymore- But Yona- the princess-

"Hak, _huuuurry!_ " Fourteen-year-old Hak's hand was snatched away from him as a small, red-haired flurry raced past. He had not seen in her over a year, but there was no mistaking her.

"Princess-" He did not move, which caused Princess Yona to jerk to a halt, before tumbling back onto him. He laughed at her, catching her easily. "Serves you-" He froze when she looked up at him, eyes blazing, inches away from his face. He had not seen her in over a year. _She looks older now._ Which was obvious. But what he hadn't expected, especially with her face flushed and hair a mess-

 _And Pretty. Really pretty._ His face felt hot all of the sudden.

Scowling, she squirmed out of his hands and grabbed his wrist.

"Come _ON,_ " she insisted, and Hak found himself pulled by the tiny force of nature down the hall. "You are so slow, and heavy, what have you been doing while you've been gone, nothing but _eat_?"

"You're one to talk." When she looked back at him, a threatening gleam in her eye, he felt more elated than intimidated. "Talk about heavy, I had to use all my strength to catch you just now-"

"I'll squish you."

"No doubt." The princess looked ready to do something more than insult him when she stiffened, then glanced over his shoulder. "Are you running from someone?" Voices reached Hak's ear.

"Shhhhhh!" She reached the end of the hall and yanked open a closet door.

"Princess-"

"In here!" She shoved him- Hak nearly fell over a bucket. Before he could protest, she had stepped in after him and closed the door.

"Princess-" A hand covered his mouth. _Her_ hand. _Her hand is touching my mouth._ Hak could not believe her. _This is how she welcomes me back to the castle?!_

"Shhhhhh! We've done this before, you know how this works!" It was true, they _had_ hidden in this closet together before, to scare guards and escape after various hijinks. So-woon had hidden with them, too. But they had been much smaller then… and had fit with no trouble at all. Now…. Now she was only a breath away from him, in the dark, and Hak did not think Soo-woon would fit alongside them now. _What is she doing? We aren't babies anymore-_ He tried to open his mouth to speak again, only to have her push her hand up against it. He could hear footsteps now, and briefly thought about opening the door and pushing her out in front of whoever she had caused trouble for this time. But if he did that, he would have to explain why _he_ was in the closet… and Mundok would _definitely_ have something to say about that.

"Princess? Your father needs to speak with you!" a woman walked on by, sighing. "I swear-" Hak raised an eyebrow, then remembered Yona could not see it. They waited, in silence, until they could not hear her calling anymore. Then Yona sighed, placing her forehead on Hak's chest. His breath caught. He had always been a recipient of her melodramatic gestures, but this….

"Father wants to discuss marriage talks," she said, voice serious.

"Oh." Hak looked upwards, towards the ceiling, not sure what to say. _Marriage_ \- they had plenty of time for that sort of thing, didn't they?

 _Princesses marry early._ Hak sighed. She was not interested in marriage talks- he didn't need to be stuffed in a closet with her to know that. She would be pranced out in front of a bunch of nobles, like a horse for sale. No one could be very fond of that. Besides, there was Soo-won….

"I refuse to see him until he stops talking about it."

"Well, that might be difficult."

"Stupid father." A little laugh escaped him as he imagined the pout across her face. "Talk of the future- I don't want to hear about it."

"Yeah." His thoughts travelled to Mundok. "Gramps wants me to be the next leader of the Wind Tribe," he confessed.

"He's been saying that for years." Hak's jaw dropped at the casual dismissal.

"I tell you something important and that's how you act?" He could tell she was looking at him now- the pressure from her head left his chest.

"It's not shocking, Hak," she responded, sounding agitated. "How did you want me to react?" _Surprised? Happy?_

 _Impressed?_ Not that he wanted to be the Wind General. He was an idiot, to think she would be impressed, nothing he did impressed her, ever- He scowled.

"For a princess, you're really-"

"Hak." She grabbed his hand again. "We all knew this would happen. Mundok trusts you." The door clicked open, and sunbeams poured forth to illuminate Yona's smile. "And I know there's no better choice." Releasing him, she walked out into the light, leaving a red-face Hak to stare after her.

 _I seem to have a problem._


	3. Chapter 3

**_In the Eye of the Raiju_**

 _A series of events through Hak's eyes._

* * *

 _Two boys skipped pebbles across the lake. Or, maybe more accurately, one boy skipped pebbles- the other let them fly with all the gusto in the world, only to watch them sink straight into the lake._

" _Amazing, Hak!" Soo-won gushed. "How do you make them fly like that?!" Hak struggled to look less pleased about his friend's admiration- but he was enjoying showing off._

" _Flick your wrist a little more." Face screwed up in concentration, Soo-won tried again- the stone sank again._

" _Aiiiiii…. I guess I need some more practice." The blond plopped down on the grass, not looking too bothered by his failure. "Yona says she'll try to sneak out and meet us- it's been a while since we've all been together. You have to visit more!"_

" _I've been training with Gramps- and studying- like I told you I would." Hak leaned back on his hands. "He says I've been doing well." Soo-won's eyes widened._

" _If General Mundok says that, you must be amazing!" Hak ducked his head a little, not sure how to respond to his friend's exuberant onslaught. Soo-won could be a little much in his praise, sometimes._

" _Uhhh. I did just win a competition, back home." It was the first competition Mundok had let him enter. After hundreds of practice shots a day for months, Hak had been permitted to enter the archery tournament. And now- "And Gramps says now I'm ready to practice the spear, for real."_

" _Ahhhhh! See what I mean?" Hak smiled._

" _I have to be the best, if I stick around with you and Yona." The very, very best. Soo-won needed the best to stand at his side. Someday, he would only want the best. And Hak had decided he would be there._

" _Ahhhh… I've been studying here too! Father has even shown me some tricks!" The pride glittered in his eyes suddenly vanished, and he pouted, cheeks puffing out. "But you should slow down, otherwise I'll never catch up!" Hak snickered._

" _I'm not waiting around for you-" Soo-won grinned back._

" _Then I'll have to hurry up!"_

Hak awoke, but he kept his eyes closed, fighting to hold on to his dream, and the happiness that had risen in him with it. But the real world crept back to him with relentless mercilessness. He could feel the hard ground under him. A twig that Yun must have missed while clearing the tent area pressed into his side. The calls of the birds and insects. The chill of morning air. The sound of sleeping dragons next to him. Already in a bad mood, Hak rolled out into the morning light. He could hear Yun starting a fire.

"Yo," he waved from a distance. "I'll find something." Yun looked at him sharply. It was still very early. Hak suspected the beautiful genius knew about his dreams. ForYunately, _unlike some_ , he never pried.

"Rabbit would be tasty." Grateful for Yun's pragmatic nature, Hak nodded and headed off. He had seen a few yesterday and doubted it would take long.

These dreams- memories of _before_ \- were almost worst than the nightmares. Nightmares aroused his anger, and retreated into the depths of his mind when he saw Yona, safe and strong. These dreams were heartbreaking. And there was nothing to do but push the happiness away. It had been an illusion. And it was gone now.

 _I would have served you for the rest of my life._ But no, he really, really could not dwell on thoughts like that. He could sense the darkness such thoughts would create. He only needed to survive and ensure Yona's safety, for as long as he would live.

He put his hand up to his eyes and rubbed them firmly as he thought about that day. Yona never made it, but he and Soo-won had ran around all day in the sun. They had ridden horses, and Soo-won had showed him a trick dismount his father had taught him. It had been pretty cool.

In fact, Yona had nearly confessed her love the day Soo-won did it in front of her. Not that she had ever blushed when _he_ had shown her anything. _Why am I remembering_ this _now?_ Hak rolled his eyes, briefly annoyed at her, twelve-year-old Soo-won, and himself. _There are plenty of more important things to be angry about._

Jealousy, at this point, was absurd on too many levels for Hak to waste time counting. As was dwelling in the past. He needed to hunt.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 24 – Meanwhile, while Yona and Lily talk about Hak….

* * *

As he waited with Shin-na outside Lily's home- _the quiet hairball does not provide much distraction, like those other three-_ Hak's thoughts drifted back to the night before, when the princess had sought him out.

"I smell!"

 _What a weirdo._

All that morning, the princess had been on pins and needles, all the while acting very cheery. _As if she can fool me. Like I don't know something is up._ But Hak was not really sure what it was. She had been acting a little funny even before she was kidnapped- but he could not put his finger on it. _I'll figure it out eventually._

She had made such a sudden fuss over nothing. He certainly had never said anything… he had never minded. It was _her._ Besides, she smelled far better than any of the soldiers he used to spend weeks at a time training. _Maybe one of the dragons said she smells?_

As much as he wished Jaeha would bother someone besides him, Hak had to admit the Green Dragon had more tact than that. It certainly had not been Shin-ah, who both lived in a cave for a large part of his life _and_ never spoke. It would have been Kija, probably. Unintentionally. _That idiot._ With Zeno agreeing. _We love you, no matter how you smell, miss!_ Hak smirked a little. Yes, that would be enough to get her worked up about being clean.

 _Such a weirdo._

Maybe he kept coming back to last night, because five words kept replaying in his head. He had dreamt about them- there had been no escaping even in his dreams.

" _I want to touch you."_ Those words sounded so _like her._ They rang of the same innocence and sincerity of her thoughts, the straightforwardness of her passions, as clear and pure as a bell.

He could have _sworn_ he heard them, but at least he knew better. He _knew_ that she would never, ever say such a thing. Finally, he had cracked, and his head was producing convincing hallucinations. _Jaeha would get such a laugh out of this._

He had been glad to get to speak to her alone. He had missed her, been terrified for her, and been relieved to have her, once more, in his arms, alive.

And feisty.

" _Don't bring your face so close to my hair!"_ So worried about how she smelled. _"You said yes, yes, but you're not listening at all, are you?"_

And yet she stayed, no resistance, arms pressed up against him, hands on his chest. Could she hear his heart pounding?

" _Hak, you're just playing around, right? I know you are…."_

Hak smiled, remembering her almost-assured voice. _Ahhhh, Princess._

" _I would never."_ And he meant it.

But he had _not_ meant to run his lips along her cheek as he whispered in her ear. Maybe a combination of those made-up words and the joy he felt holding her had drawn him in too close. He could tell he had gone too far from her change in tone, and regretted it, almost immediately.

But he wanted to hold on to her. She had made no real protest until his mouth brushed along her skin. He had no desire to tease, or to fluster- or anything but assure her that was perfect, as she was, dirt and all.

" _It's okay, it's okay-"_ If they could just stay like that, for just a little longer- he would do anything she asked. He would stay away from her face, her lips, her hair- Trying to lighten the mood, he went for playful. She took the bait.

" _Copying Zeno won't work, either!"_ He couldn't help but laugh. God, how she made him smile. She made him into a complete fool. With her smiles, her voice- every part of him came undone, and all he could do was try to play it cool.

When they locked eyes again, they were close. So close that he could see how swollen her eyes were. Lack of sleep, crying… without him there to protect her. It was really unforgivable, for someone who had sworn his sword to her. Before he could say a word about his failure, she stopped him.

"Don't apologize, okay? It wasn't your fault." Her eyes were bright, but serious. And- just like that- he believed her. His heart was lighter. She was okay. Better than okay. She was strong. A fighter.

 _I love you._ Hak had banished the thought as quickly as he could, afraid she could see in on his face, worried that the words would slip off his tongue if he left them there for too long.

" _You're… really cool, you know?"_

Far more than cool.

" _I've never seen another girl as cool as you."_

 _Nor will I ever._ Hak stretched his arms, waving them around in the warm night air.

"Shin-ah, aren't you hot in all that fluffiness?" Silence. Then…

"Sometimes…. I am."

"But not right now?"

"…."

"…."

"No." _He is really, really not a talker._

"You know, you're a breath of fresh air." Hak turned around, stretching. "I really, truly mean that. White Snake should take notes." Quiet. He sighed. Yona had been gone for awhile now, longer than planned. He probably should have expected it. The next guard rotation would be soon. "What could _possibly_ be taking this long? I'll go get her." _Girls…._ Shin-ah nodded, and Hak slipped off of their rooftop perch, landing noiselessly in the garden.

" _I am a girl,"_ she had said. He wanted to roll his eyes- did she really think he had not noticed?

The two of them had their heads together, whispering.

"Princess-" Neither of them seemed to hear him. "It's about time to head-"Both Lily and Yona whipped around, recoiling, eyes panicked.

"KYAAAA!"

"…back." He really wasn't sure they could have had a _less_ flattering response to his arrival.

"R-right, I'm ready," the princess replied, the two girls hastily standing and brushing their skirts off. "All right then, we're off, Lily!"

"Ah, Yona…" Lily's face colored. "Come again, all right?" As Hak watched, Yona's face broke out into an enormous smile. In a very short time, she and Lily had gotten very close. Hak was sorry to take her away so soon.

"Ummm, Hak. Wait." As Yona went on ahead, he turned back to Lily, who was smiling. "Thanks for saving me, back at the gallows…."

"No problem. I'm glad you're alright. And you too, I heard that you protected the princess." _Thank you for being there, when I could not be._ "I deeply appreciate it."

"Of course." She paused. "Yona is important to me, too, you know." _The princess has a way of endearing herself to people._ Hak's polite expression softened into a small smile, which Lily seemed surprised by. _She's probably heard too many tales about my "grumpiness" from Jaeha._

"Ah! Wait a moment…. Ayura, bring that out." When Ayura dropped a bag at Hak's side, Lily continued. "It's a present- take it with you." Hak peeked inside the bag, noting medicine, bandages, and food.

"Ahhhaha, thank you for your care, as always!" _Yun will be pleased…._

"Also this." A smaller bag lay in her outstretched hand. Hak accepted it, undoing the string keeping it shut.

"This is….?" His heart sank when he saw the box. He slowly pulled it out.

"That's what was taken from Yona back in Sei Kingdom. We recovered it. We did a rough check of the contents, and there was a really high-quality hairpin in there. That must be Yona's right? Could you return it to her?" _Could I?_

"Yeah… thanks."

"I'm sure she will be really glad to get it back from you." _Oh, the irony._ Lily beamed, so Hak tried to return the smile. It felt wrong. "Until next time." Hak nodded and headed after the princess, tucking the bag away, out of sight.

 _Could I return it?_ Could he return it, after last night? After dreaming of her saying those five words? After laughing with her in his arms? After almost telling her that he loved her? Could he watch her face fall, see her pull away, and endure her heartbreak once more?

 _Sorry, Lily._ He was not sure he could.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Hak wakes after falling. After Chapter 11._**

* * *

 _He was falling- falling deeper and deeper into darkness. He had thought there would be an end to it when he hit the ground, but he kept going- unable to stop the roaring in his skull. Somewhere, Yona was crying his name, her voice high and frantic._

 _"Hak! Stay with me-" He struggled against the blackness, to respond, but everything was so heavy. Then she was gone._

 _Soo-woon's blank expression flickered in and out of his mind, cold and hollow eyes burning a hollow in his chest, his head, his stomach. He was burning everywhere._

 _"I sent him to hell." He wanted to fight, to move, to grab Yona and run, but he was paralyzed, trapped- a image of Yona drifted through the moment, smiling, her red hair caught on the breeze, watching Soo-woon adoringly._

 _"I want them to be happy-" There was blood, blood everywhere- soldiers dying by his hand. People he knew, people he had trained with, people he had taught-_

He was not sure how long it was before he woke. His consciousness came back bit by bit and he lay completely still, for as much as he struggled to shove off the heaviness once and for all. First the realization that he had been dreaming, then the coolness of the night air against his fevered skin. The sound of crickets. The even breath of others sleeping close by. Next, how the pain he had thought Soo-woon had inflicted in his nightmares was _actual_ physical pain- pain, but dulled. That was okay, he had been beaten up before- he could deal-

 _The cliff._ Hak finally jerked up, stifling a curse as a sharp pain went through his side. The sight of Yona, sleeping soundly a few steps away, made him sag in relief. She looked peaceful, and uninjured from their fall. _Thank the heavens._ He turned his attention back to his own body, his fingertips brushing the bandage on his chest.

 _Did I break a rib?_ He turned, his movement much slower than before. _More than one?_ He felt along his side, trying to assess how badly he was injured. Whoever had done the work on him had done a good job- had probably saved his life. He was pretty certain he had had a fever too- infection, most likely. _We're lucky to be alive._ Quietly, he stood, his attention turning to the others in the room- two young men. They too were sound asleep. Harmless, but his fingers twitched for his spear, anyway.

He didn't see it anywhere. He wouldn't be surprised if it was still lying right around the water, where they fell. With any luck, it had not been swept away. Still, it was something he should retrieve immediate….

He hesitated, gazing drifting back over the two young men on the floor. He did not want to leave Yona alone- but whoever they were, they had saved his life, and while he was unconscious, she was okay, unrestrained, and quietly sleeping. Besides, he would be back shortly. With as little noise as he could, he stepped outside, looked around for a moment, and headed back towards the cliff.

* * *

Hak was pleased to find the weapon without too much searching. It rested on the ground right where they had tumbled down. He took a moment to look back up the cliff, at the ledge they had fallen from. A shiver crept down his spine as he traced their fall with his eyes- the trees and the river had saved them. Yona should have let him fall.

Of course, if she had, she would probably be on her way back to Soo-won now. Hak frowned as he began to retrace his steps.

He had made a few mistakes in that fight- it could have meant both of their deaths. Knowing the circumstances, Hak could scarcely believe they _had_ survived.

 _"The power of the Gods,"_ he could hear Mundok saying to him, and scoffed a little at himself. Still, it was a miracle they were alive. He would need to make sure Yona really was fit to travel before they sought out the Oracle. She had done a crazy thing, up there on the cliff, waving a sword around like a newborn-

Despite his disapproval, he couldn't help smirking. Now that they were safe and on the ground, the memory of Tae-jun's face as they fell was getting more entertaining by the second. Any half-baked plan the Fire General's second son had pinned his hopes on was foiled for the time being. _He wanted Yona to be his queen?_ Probably true, but Hak would bet anything that his father would serve Yona's head up on a stick if he thought it would gain him favour.

The thought of what the Fire General would be capable of doing to Yona made him go cold. _Hurt, bound, dragged up to Soo-woon for execution._ He wanted to stop his thoughts, tried to remind himself that he had just seen her. His pace quickened.

He did not want to leave her alone.

* * *

When he got back to the hut, his heart plummeted. _She was gone._ Neither of the unknown youths had moved.

Shoving back the urge to call out to her, Hak whipped around and back out the door into the night, spear in hand.

 _She probably woke up and needed to answer nature's call,_ he told himself, but the sensible part of his brain could not stop the franticness rising in him. _I should be more worried about wandering into her in the middle of that than anything else._

 _Bandits,_ another part of his mind countered. _Soldiers. Maybe Tae-jun saw us from_ above. Ignoring the pain rising in his side, he moved through the bramble to be sure he had not missed anyone lurking.

In a few moments, he saw a flash of red hair among the trees, back towards the clearing near their shelter, further out than he would think she would go for a break. _She is safe. Safe._ He frowned. _What is she doing?_ Closing the distance between them, he was about to call out to her when she tripped, yelping as she face-planted into the grass. She stopped there for a moment, shaking. He frowned, heading towards her even more quickly. Maybe she actually _had_ been injured in the fall off the cliff. It looked like her ankle could be twisted- He opened his mouth to call out to her when she started to yell.

"Stupid Hak!"

 _Stupid... WHO?_ Scowling, he slammed his spear down behind her. She whipped around, mouth still open.

"That's uncalled for." To think that he had been worried. Here he was, marching through the woods with her, for her- "You sit on the ground in the dark and start calling me names?" What was she even doing out here? "I'm so _glad_ you're doing fine after your miraculous survival." Her purple eyes teared up. _Not the tears…._ Hak battled a flurry of emotions-indignance, guilt, rage, and concern. Concern won. "What's wrong?" he asked grudgingly. "Did you have a bad dream?" Sniffling, she turned away, wiping away a tear.

"I don't cry over things like that." Sighing, he sank down to meet her eyes.

"Really?" She had been doing a lot of crying recently. Not that he blamed her. She glared over at him.

"Where'd you go?" He nodded to the spear.

"To look for this."

"Then wake me up!" she yelled. He started, looking back at her, surprised by her vehement reproach. She sounded worried… which was very unlike her. His brain worked fast to come up with a good explanation. His kneejerk reaction was to give her a hard time- to keep things the same as they always were.

"I see, you can't sleep alone. Do you want me to sleep with you?" He braced himself for her retaliation as he gave her a mocking smile and opened his arms. "Here-"

"You're a fool!" she snapped.

"Huh?" Her flat, adamant tone made him feel like a child. _That's new._

"With that injury-" She was shaking, eyes cast downward. He raised an eyebrow.

"Now I'm a fool-" He froze when she lifted her face towards him. Tears poured down her cheeks, her full eyes aglow in the moonlight.

"You get all beat up, then push yourself too far…" _Isn't that what I always do?_ he thought dumbly, mesmerized. There was something different about her, how she looked at him, how their gazes locked- in all their years together, he had never seen her like this. "I was afraid you'd die." Her voice cracked. "Don't go without permission! At least _you_ have to stay by my side!" His heart shook. She had never spoken to him like this- had never even hinted that she cared that much, but he could see it now- he could _feel_ it. The tide of emotions swept him up. He had never felt this close to her. He wanted to promise her everything she wanted, and more. He wanted more.

"I kind of want to die." Yona stared at him.

"What?" He ducked his head.

"That hideous crying face seriously made me tingle." He said it jokingly, but he meant every word. He was _happy_ , indescribably happy- Her wide eyes glittered, pulling him in towards her. "Just once… " He cupped her cheek in his hand gently, running his thumb against a single tear. She was still staring at him, her small lips slightly open. He leaned in close, his nose brushing hers. "-because I really wanna see how much you'd cry if I die." He could feel her breath against his lips-

 _Wham!_ He recoiled as a fresh jolt of pain joined his head throbbing. Then chagrin and consternation joined the pain as he realised what had happened. _What kind of girl_ head-butts _a fellow right before a kiss?!_

"Dodge if you don't want to," he said dryly, trying to salvage some meager portion of his pride. He was already injured, for heaven's sake!

"Dodge?" the princess sounded confused. Hak shot her a glare. "I thought you wanted to check for fever, so I stuck my forehead out." He _stared._ "Am I wrong?"

 _Was she wrong? WRONG?_

"U-um, that's right," he stuttered. He should be grateful- what had he been _thinking?_ He had done something incredibly stupid, and now, instead, he had an easy way out. He ducked his head. "The fever's messing with my head and-" His heart skipped when she leaned in towards him, her hand caressing his chin. She rested her forehead against his, almost exactly as they had been a minute before. _This is torture._ He still felt the burning urge to close the very short gap between them. _How does she not know?_

"But it's lower than before," she whispered, staring back into his eyes. His heart swelled- she had been checking then, while he slept? He swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Hee hee," she giggled, shattering the moment as she pulled back. Hak sighed, then frowned as he finally noticed-

"Your hair…" He reached out to touch one of the long strands that were left from their fight with the Fire Clan. Then he pulled back. "I apologize. This is my fault." She smiled.

"I'm fine. I feel lighter." She glanced away. "Besides, I always hated this red hair." Her face softened, her smile growing sadder.

 _She's thinking about Soo-won._ How Soo-won had told her how he liked her hair- how he gave her that pin. Hak's heart grew heavier. Soo-won was always the one she had loved. As close as he and the princess were now, Hak was always meant only to be her protector, her guard, to keep her safe for Soo-won. Now, he had to protect her _from_ him. He needed to squelch these feelings- she would not ever return them.

Then her smile brightened again- _intentionally_ , Hak knew.

"This isn't bad either, right?" She did not want to talk about Soo-woon. Hak nodded. He had never hated her red hair, either.

"You're right." _You have to stay by my side? She says it so easy._ It was always so easy for her to get to him. He had nearly upset her even more- had nearly betrayed her trust and her father's trust.

It was time to get back to their normal banter. Then, maybe, he would feel less ill at ease.

"Your _brain_ is weird, but I guess your hair is okay." She whipped around, her familiar huff filling him with relief.

"I'll sew your mouth shut!" Then her scowl softened into a gentle smile. Hak smiled back.

 _Still, you're keeping that hair pin even without the hair to pin up._ He should have known- he really never had a chance.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Next!"_ Hak swept his spear out of the path of the overly –eager rookie, neatly sparing the clumsy recruit from a swift death. Instead, as the fellow lunged, he pivoted and sent him flying with a well-placed elbow. " _Next_!" The next guard-in-training, while more cautious, was not much better. Hak disarmed him with one hard blow, and jerked his head to the defeated line. Eight down, and the Wind General had not sweat a drop. The next one looked ready to wet himself. Sighing in exasperation, Hak signaled a halt. "Drills! Pair up." They all looked relieved. He pinched the bridge of his nose as they continued without him. Why had he gone and thought they were ready for one-on-one with him?

He needed to be smarter, a better teacher. He needed to understand people better, be more like-

"Hak!" The young man whipped around, grinning at the sight of his old friend, walking towards him.

"You're back!" Soo-woon had been coming and going from the capital often recently, but the two of them had not had time to exchange words. Hak pointed to the field. "You have time for a match?" Soo-woon laughed, waving his hands.

"Nooooo no no, Hak," he chided. "I couldn't possibly match you." He nodded to the trainees behind them. "I saw you with them- Thunder Beast of Kouka, indeed." His gaze turned back to Hak, a little bit sharper. Hak knew that look- Soo-woon was assessing, thinking- calculating. Then the blond smiled again. "Is this what you do all day now?" Hak snorted.

"This is easy, compared to my other job."

"You don't seem to have any trouble here."

"I'd take a score of recruits over one Yona any day," the Wind General growled, thinking back to the morning's antics, in which he found himself tasked with coaxing her about her royal duties. Not that they were all her fault- but unwanted suitors made her both more arrogant and more sullen than usual. Soo-woon gaze fixed on his again.

"What's this? Trouble with Yona?" he chuckled. "Surely not." Hak huffed, not wanting to elaborate. He did not want to clue his friend into his growing attraction to the princess. She _loved_ Soo-woon, and he would make an excellent king. Hak would not complicate things by getting in the middle. "She is… vexing." Feeling bad already about bad-mouthing her, he added, "To me. You know, you've always been there. We… have never been able to… play nice." He cleared his throat. "And now it's just worse. It's not like how you get along with her." Her tutors, her maids, and her own father insisted that _he_ was the only one who could appeal to her better nature. Privately, Hak felt they had it all backwards; he was the only one who dared to be as bad as _her._ Everyone else flattered her, pleaded with her... begged her. On the other hand, _he_ alone was perfectly fine with taunting her, insulting her, bullying her, and even physically carrying her, when the mood struck him. Not that she was very happy when he was through with her.

A long silence stretched out between the two of them. As he busied himself with watching the trainees, Hak could feel Soo-woon's piercing gaze growing again.

"If it upsets you," he said slowly. "You could leave." Soo-woon sounded wistful, for a brief moment. Hak's head whipped up in surprise- and as their eyes meet, he got the strangest sensation. Soo-woon's voice was casual, but his eyes burned- "Be _my_ attendant! You could travel, with me. See the kingdom! Leave the palace-"

But, as the words dwindled off, Hak knew- he knew, almost instantly, that _both of them_ already knew-

"I can't leave." As he said the words, Soo-woon's face fell, his eyes darkening. Surprised both by the sudden suggestion and unusual intensity in his friend, Hak tried to laugh it off. "I never realized you wanted me for yourself so badly." Then, suddenly, the heaviness was gone, and his friend laughed goofily.

"What are you saying, Hak? I think it would be fun to go on adventures together- imagine the two of us, galloping along!" Hak chuckled. "And you weren't very happy just now-" Soo-woon always did have this knack for getting down to the bottom of things. Hak sighed, glancing one way, and then the other, to make sure they were out of earshot. He decided on partial truths.

"She's just… mad all the time, and I don't know _why_ ," the general muttered. "Mad at her father, mad at her tutor, mad at…" He hesitated. "-mad at _me_." He ducked his head. "At least I deserve it." He thought about how red her face had gotten when he had teased her about her about dropping a tea cup that morning, and a gentle smile wormed its way to his lips.

"I am sorry. You don't deserve it," Soo-woon said softly, sounding more solemn than the occasion warranted. Hak chuckled, thinking about the light in her eyes as she swore at him. Her eyes had glittered with rage when he told her princesses shouldn't say those sorts of words. Her tutors, her maids, and her own father insisted that Hak was the only one who could appeal to her better nature. Hak felt they had it all backwards; he was the only one who dared to be as bad as _her._ Everyone else flattered her, pleaded with her... begged her. On the other hand, _he_ alone was perfectly fine with taunting her, insulting her, bullying her, and even physically carrying her, when the mood struck him. Not that she was very happy when he was through with her.

"Nope. I _definitely_ deserve it." He had made sure of that. "She-" He stopped himself, suddenly aware of how he would sound talking about her. There were already rumors about him and the princess, ones he had sought to squash, ones he did not want Soo-woon to hear. "-would be mad _again_ if I do not promptly deliver you to her."

"Hahaha, we wouldn't want that, now, would we? Silly me, trying to lure you away." His voice was light. "But you... you would never leave Yona." Hak glanced again at his friend- and those knowing eyes made his insides squirm.

"I did make your uncle a promise," he reminded Soo-woon. He gave a short laugh. "Oath to the king and all. Guess I'll have to stick with her, even if it kills me," he said wryly, remembering flying teacups. Fortunately Yona had terrible aim. Soo-woon didn't laugh.

"I believe you." Then Soo-woon beamed again as he whisked off in the direction of Yona's rooms. "But I'll keep trying!" Hak shook his head, relieved to follow behind as he tried to collect his thoughts. Conversations with his best friend were usually disarming, but this one had been stranger than most. He steeled himself for an afternoon of Yona and Soo-woon, together.

He had scared all the servants from their idle gossip about the princess, and he complained about her, as much as he could. He made sure he annoyed her, as much as possible. He would shut out his feelings until they went away. Soo-woon could not know because it was Soo-woon that needed to love her. It was for _them_ , for the future, for Kouka. For Yona to get her happy ending.

But, sometimes, he thought, as they made their way back to the princess, Soo-woon already _knew_ how he felt _._

He hoped his feelings had not complicated things.


	7. Chapter 7

_I rewrote this one a little-_

 _Thank you for all the reviews! I would love to hear more from you all! I have been very busy but trying to get these chapters out as fast as I can! (soon many ideas, so little time!) =D_

* * *

"I know you are a meanie, Hak, but those kinds of jokes surprise me. So don't do them." He suppressed a sigh as she curled up, her back to him. He fixed his eyes on the back of her neck, on a unruly curl she would probably complain about, if she could see it.

 _Jokes..._

He thinks back to when he first started flirting with her... and really, she was right, and it was his fault. Regardless of his feelings, it had really started with a joke. He thinks for a moment longer, and frowns slightly.

No, not really.

It really started with the touches.

He had always been more familiar with her than most attendants were with their masters.

In fact, she had started it- the princess had always been the one being overly familiar with _him_ \- jumping him, her little fists flying ("Warriors should be ready for surprises, Hak!"), climbing on him ("I wanna sit on your shoulders! Haaaaaak- I wanna see up high!"), tackling him (" _Hak!_ mind your manners when you talk to princesses"), pushing him around ("you're so slow, Hak!")- and he had begun both to oblige and to retaliate in turns- tickling her (" Don't pick fights you can't win!"), picking her up ("don't wiggle around so much, Princess, you'll fall!"), carrying her ("geez, you'd fall asleep under a tree if it weren't for me, Princess!") stealing her food ("you'll get fat if I don't, Princess!").

She got up in his face, scowling and scolding and huffing and puffing, her face turning bright pink. Even when she was tiny, he sorta thought it was adorable.

Once he was fourteen (and again at fifteen, and once more after that at sixteen before giving up), he told himself they were too old for such nonsense, but they kept at it- throwing things in each other's general directions (he always drew the line at pillows, even when she resorted to hairbrushes- she always said it was because she knew he would dodge, anyway), taunting relentlessly, and complaining about each other as much as anyone else would listen.

Then, one afternoon, she stole his breath away.

"Hak! Give it, give it-" He ducked her outstretched hand, grinning slyly as he dangled a jade bracelet in front of her. She had chased him down two sets of stairs and 3 halls now. The guards- used to their antics- had only chuckled as he raced by them.

"Princess, your grace is astounding. You've only tripped once so far. Maybe those dancing lessons _are_ helping-" She charged him and Hak was caught for a brief moment by her blazing eyes as she determinedly bore down on him-

"HA!" She tumbled into him, grabbing his hand and the bracelet in it. The boy blinked as her face turned up to his, alit with triumph, and- suddenly- he could not remember how to breathe. Mind blank, breath gone, Hak tried to push away the thunderous noise of his heartbeat. "I got you," she crooned smugly. Hak tried to come up with a witty retort, but his brain wasn't working very well-

"Ah-"

" _HAK!_ "

"Shit." Princess still in his arms, Hak turned to see Mundok careening down the hall, other generals looking on. They must have just finished their meeting… which meant the Wind General had all the time in the world for his errant grandson.

"Such language in front of the princess!"

"Mundok!" Yona beamed, and Mundok stopped to bow and smile, with a warning glare towards Hak.

"You look as lovely as ever, Your Highness. Now...what has my rapscallion of a grandson done this time?" he grumbled.

"Me?" Hak protested, letting her go abruptly. "She chased me-"

"No grandson of mine disrespects the princess-"

"Now, Mundok," Geun-tae boomed, grinning. The other generals had moved on. "You can't blame the Thunder Beast for fending off his admirers." Hak's jaw dropped.

" _Admirers?!"_ the princess half-shrieked. Secretly pleased both with the Earth General's insinuation _and_ the use of his new nickname, Hak sputtered indignantly a beat late. Not that Yona noticed.

"Definitely not," they said in unison, glaring as Geun-Tae laughed even more. Yona swatted at Hak.

"Come up with your own words, Hak!" He ducked. She pursued.

"Are you still blaming me?" he squawked at his grandfather. "I'm the victim here!" he announced as he grabbed her waist to keep her at an arm's length. Yona tried to kick him instead.

"A _re you five?_ " Hak demanded. The princess sniffed at him.

"Are you?"

"That's a terrible retort-"

"You know how to solve that, boy?" Geun-tae's grin grew. "Next time she comes at you, pull her tight and kiss her!" His jaw dropping, Hak dropped the princess like a hot poker. "Works like a charm!" Geun-Tae winked at Yona. "He might surprise you!" Yona wrinkled her nose.

"I don't need that sort of surprise, Geun-Tae." As Gun-Tae roared with laughter, Hak resisted the urge to glower at her.

 _Not even a ounce of maidenly shyness,_ he thought, wondering how she would have reacted if the Earth General said the same thing to Soo-woon. _Not that His Lordship would need to know how to qualm her rages._ No, Yona saved those just for him.

" _Geeeeeeeennnnneral_ ," a dangerously low voice said. Hak had forgotten about Mundok for a moment. The old man had a frightful grimace on his face. "You have given offense to Her Highness…. With your insolence and presumptuous nature…." Yona waved her hand.

"It's quite alright, Mundok. Everybody knows that will never happen," she said bluntly. Geun-tae let out a sharp bark of laughter, while Hak had the sudden urge to put her in a headlock and muss up her overly-done up hair. He could hear her repeating those words over and over again in his head. _That will never happen. That will never happen._ Of course, she was right. Hak knew that. So why did he suddenly feel like the breath had been knocked out of him? "So no harm done," she finished, smiling.

 _No harm done?!_

"Yes…. Who'd want to kiss the princess?" he said, gritting his teeth. Then, before he could think better of it, he added, "All that _hair_ would probably get in the way." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew they were a low blow. Yona could take practically anything any insult he tossed her way… but he never said anything about her hair. Ever. She stiffened- surprise, then hurt, flickered across her face.

He wanted to apologize and take it back. He wanted to smack himself for even thinking about apologizing. Then she scowled at him.

"Like _anyone_ would ever kiss you, dummy!" Before he could respond, or put thoughts to his tumultuous emotions, she stomped off. After a moment, Hak made to follow her.

" _Haaaaaaak_." The Wind General's gaze roved back over to his grandson. He grabbed Hak's ear and pulled. "That isn't how you court a lady! I taught you better-" Guilt and consternation were winning over Hak's inner turmoil- his cheeks started to burn.

"Nooooooooot courting!" he hissed, retaliating. In a moment, the two of them were both scuffling on the floor, the princess long gone, Geun-Tae still observing keenly.

"Manners are _important!_ Looks will only get you so far!"

"What would you know, you never had any!"

"Lemme bruise your face, you'll look more dangerous that way! Girls like that!"

"I look plenty dangerous already, thank you very- GRAMPS!"

"That's the spirit! Get the little tyke in the eye, Mundok!"

" _Little?!_ "

* * *

 _Part one of two. What does young Hak do to apologise? Well, you'll have to review and read to find out! :)_


	8. Chapter 8

_****So, I've been mulling over this one since I wrote the last one. After some really helpful input, I rewrote the end of the last installment. For your convenience, I have included the rewritten portion below.****_

* * *

 ** _Previously:_**

"You know how to solve that, boy?" Geun-tae's grin grew. "Next time she comes at you, pull her tight and kiss her!" His jaw dropping, Hak dropped the princess like a hot poker. "Works like a charm!" Geun-Tae winked at Yona. "He might surprise you!" Yona wrinkled her nose.

"I don't need that sort of surprise, Geun-Tae." Hak resisted the urge to glower at her.

 _Not even a ounce of maidenly shyness,_ he thought, wondering how she would have reacted if the Earth General said the same thing to Soo-woon. _Not that he would need to know how to qualm her rages._ No, Yona saved those just for him.

" _Geeeeeeeennnnneral_ ," a dangerously low voice said. Hak had forgotten about Mundok for a moment. The old man had a frightful grimace on his face. "You have given offense to Her Highness…. With your insolence and presumptuous nature…." Yona waved her hand.

"It's quite alright, Mundok. Everybody knows that will never happen," she said bluntly. Geun-tae let out a sharp bark of laughter, while Hak had the sudden urge to put her in a headlock and muss up her overly-done up hair. He could hear her repeating those words over and over again in his head. _That will never happen. That will never happen._ Of course, she was right. Hak knew that. So why did he suddenly feel like the breath had been knocked out of him? "So no harm done," she finished, smiling.

 _No harm done... no harm DONE?!_

"Yes…. Who'd want to kiss the princess?" he said, gritting his teeth. Then, before he could think better of it, he added, "All that _hair_ would probably get in the way." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew they were a low blow. He never said anything about her hair.

He wanted to apologize and take it back. He wanted to smack himself for even thinking about apologizing. She stiffened- surprise, then hurt, flickered across her face.. She scowled at him.

"Like _anyone_ would ever want to kiss you, dummy!" Before he could respond, or put thoughts to his tumultuous emotions, she stomped off.

" _Haaaaaaak_." The Wind General's gaze roved back over to his grandson. He grabbed Hak's ear and pulled. "That isn't how you court a lady! I taught you better-" Guilt and consternation were winning over Hak's inner turmoil- his cheeks started to burn.

"Nooooooooot courting!" he hissed, retaliating. In a moment, the two of them were both scuffling on the floor, the princess long gone, Geun-Tae still observing keenly.

"Looks will only get you so far!"

"What would you know, you never had any!"

"Lemme bruise your face, you'll look more dangerous that way! Girls like that!"

"I'm plenty dangerous already, thank you very- GRAMPS!"

"That's the spirit! Get the little tyke in the eye, Mundok!"

* * *

 **Now:**

"Princesses should _always_ be the very essence of punctuality," Hak drawled, mimicking Yona's irate tutor as mockingly as he could. Ears practically steaming, Yona whirled around and found herself eye-to-eye with her smirking bodyguard.

"Maybe if you could have been quiet for _two seconds_ this morning, I would have remembered today was dancing lessons, not history! Then we wouldn't have been late!" He knew he should be on his best behavior; he laughed at her anyway.

"You mean _I_ made you forget?" He guffawed. "How much trouble I cause for you, Hime." She scowled, then kept walking. He smiled at her back; she had not spoken to him since the hair comment four days ago. He had shown up at her side later that day, only to have her stomp off without a word. After a few attempts at civility that day, he came to the conclusion that he would have to drive her to the edge of her sanity to get back on speaking terms. He had been pestering her every hour since- she had never given him the silent treatment for this long before.

"Does this mean you're not ignoring me anymore?" The princess turned around, her arms crossed. "How much longer are you going to ignore me?"

"I'm not ignoring you," Yona muttered between her teeth as she started to walk again.

"Yes you are!" he volleyed back.

"No I'm not!"

"I'm sorry." His words caught them both by surprise. Yona stopped, then turned back, disbelieving eyebrows raised. He ducked his head, fixing his eyes on the stone floor. He had not planned to apologize, but he meant it. "Your hair is fine. Imreallysorryaboutthat." There. He had said it twice. _Twice!_ The silence continued. Slowly, he raised his gaze back to Yona, who was staring back at him, purple eyes wide.

"You're really sorry." It was less of a question than a statement, but Hak felt compelled to answer anyway.

" _Yeeeeeeeessss_ ," he hissed. How many more times was he going to have to repeat it? Yona continued to stare. "What?" She made a face at him.

 _"_ You really thought I was still mad about that?" He blinked.

"Aren't you?" The princess put her hands on her hips.

"I was, but you're always saying mean things, Hak, because you're a meanie." Hak resisted the urge to hit his head against the wall. "But never mind that, you _actually felt bad_ -" He shot her a glare.

"I'm not always mean." Yona cast him a fervent look.

"I _know_ \- you're been so nice the past few days!" Hak's eyes narrowed. _Wait a minute…._

"Princess… did you pretend to be upset so I would feel bad for you?" Yona's face confirmed his suspicions. "I can't believe you!" He scowled.

"Well… I _was_ upset, at first. And I didn't think you would worry so much. I thought maybe Mundok had threatened you- what else could put you in your place? You _never_ listen to me." Hak's eye twitched.

"In _my place_?"

"But you actually felt bad!" she exclaimed, ignoring his reaction. "Who would have thought…."

"You evaded the question. And I take it all back. I'm not sorry at all."

"You felt bad." Her voice turned singsong. "Hak has a conscience." He glowered.

"You... are soooo…. Annoying."

"You were actually nice to me! It can happen! Sometimes." He drew himself up to tower over her as she giggled. "You followed me around like a puppy!"He hoped no one could hear them- he could only imagine how the guards would laugh- they were bad enough already after they heard about the Earth General's remarks.

"A _puppy_?"

"A kinda whiny one."

He had thought a lot about the Earth General's comments the past few days.

"Careful, Princess. I might bite."

"I'll bite you back." Hak snorted.

"How scary-" As she moved to whack him with her fan, he stepped forward, grabbing her wrist to stop her mid-motion. Unperturbed, she tried to jab him in the side, causing Hak to grab her other hand. _This again?_ She didn't even seem to notice the compromising positions she put him in, wrestling in the hall with him like they were four. It was exactly how Mundok had found them the other day, wrapped up in each other, not that the Princess thought anything of it. She was obviously unsurprised and unaffected by the outcome of their brief skirmish, and just waited patiently, eyes wide, for him to let go.

"Hime, you would think you _wanted_ my hands all over you," he said, half-joking, half-exasperated. In retaliation, she attempt to push him, leaning her weight into him, and he held it, swaying their hands back and forth slightly. But her eyes were playful, and Hak wanted to savor the moment. As they were, his hands on her wrists, him gently fending her off… she was mesmerizing.

"One day…." The determination in her eyes made Hak's heart skip a beat. He was getting lost in that look.

"Yes?" She pursed her lips.

"I am going to get one over on you." Her serious tone provoked a laugh from her bodyguard, who then let her go. As he chuckled, she returned his smile. Seizing the moment, she tapped him lightly on the arm with her fan.

"Such a violent princess," he snickered. He glanced at her sidelong. "Keep that up, and I'll have to follow Geun-Tae's advice." Yona looked up at him, puzzled. He leaned in a little closer towards her, and saw the realization click in her eyes. She laughed.

"Very funny, Hak." Her ease, her confidence- somehow, she was able to brush those moments off… without a single thought. He knew she didn't feel the same way as he did... She wasn't shaken to the core every time they drew close. But...

He wanted to see what _would_ rattle her. He smirked.

"The Earth General is a mighty warrior, so he probably knows what he's talking about. Besides," he added, with a shrug. "-desperate times call for desperate measures." Yona frowned slightly.

"What's desperate?" He tried to assume a serious face, his eyes glinting.

"Hime, you threatened my life. I have to take all threats seriously." Eyeing him suspiciously, she took a step back. A sliver of a smirk crossed his face.

"Hak, I'm not even doing anything right now _._ " She sounded incredulous… and the slightest bit nervous. He wanted to laugh. They were only a foot apart now. As he neared, she broke eye contact, looking over his shoulder instead.

"Surely, you're trying to put me off guard," he replied, trying to sound as innocent as possible. "Any moment now, my life could be in great danger. I should strike immediately."

"Hak, you wouldn't- _oh._ " She had looked back at him- their noses had almost touched, they were so close. Hak's pulse hammered in his ears, but he was determined to keep the upper hand. He let a grin slowly slide across his lips.

"Oh?" He cocked his head slightly, careful not to touch her. "What?" She shook her head slightly. She was trying to be brave, he noticed, impressed. She could have backed away at any time, but hadn't yet. But he was going to win this round. "Cat got your tongue?" He could feel his eyes burn. "Come here- I might be able to get it back for you."

" _What?_ " Yona gasped, her face turning bright red. "I- Hak, if you _ever_ , I will-" She stopped, seemingly lost for a threat.

"You'll do what, Princess?" he queried, eyes glittering.

"I- you- no- wouldn't-" As she stammered, he took a step towards her, leaning in as close as he dared. "I-I can't believe you!" she squeaked, covering her face with her hands. Hak couldn't take it anymore- he burst out laughing. She turned her back to him and then, squaring her shoulders, headed back down the hall. "You're _terrible!_ "

"Yes," he choked, still laughing. "Yes, I am."


	9. Chapter 9

Oh. My. Goodness. I don't know about y'all, but that last chapter of the manga gave me **_THE FEELS_**. Will deeeeefinitely be writing up that soon! This is a short chapter- I'm working on some major Hak/Yona moments to post soon!

* * *

Sometimes, the Raiju plays a game. The _if-she-liked-me_ game. He plays it as a reminder that the Princess really, really doesn't feel the same way that he does. It feels a little juvenile to him- _what, is he ten? -_ but old habits die hard.

Lately, though, she's been making this game harder than it should be.

He started the game when they were young, when he first realized he liked her. He had been a little slow about it- by the time he had figured it out, she had liked Soo-woon for _forever._ Back then, the game was very easy.

 _If she likes me… she'll laugh when I make a face at the tutor._

She scowled at him.

 _If she likes me… she'll hold my hand when we walk to dinner._

She never even glanced at him.

And so on it went.

When it became clear his case was hopeless, the game adopted a harsher edge to it- less wishful, more matter-of-fact.

 _If she liked me, she wouldn't blush every time Soo-woon looks at her._

He did not mean to sound bitter, or to dwell in envious, meaningless comparisons. Pettiness was a sheer waste of time. But Hak realized he needed brutal, honest reminders of just how unreciprocated his feelings were because he had a snowball's chance in hell and needed his heart to figure that out.

 _If she liked me, she would have gushed over my new spear._

She was too busy talking about Soo-woon to notice.

 _If she liked me, she would not throw teacups at me._

She threw a lot of teacups at him.

 _If she liked me, she would smile at me like she smiles at Soo-woon._

Did he even have to say it?

She had always, always, _always_ been so easy for him to read. Her emotions were an open book to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention. And Hak paid a lot of attention. Even so, he still felt himself falling for her, even as she chased after their best friend.

He continued the game after they fled the palace. It was a little harder, because up until then, most of his rationale had centered around the new king. But he adapted.

 _If she liked me, she wouldn't have called me a meanie._

 _If she liked me, she wouldn't have thought I was checking my temperature._

 _If she liked me, she wouldn't say I was annoying when I worry._

 _If she liked me, she wouldn't ask me to stop playing jokes._

 _If she liked me, she and Lilli wouldn't squaw in horror when I show up._

But… she started surprising him. He couldn't read her so easily anymore- he still felt he knew her better than anyone else, even the dragons, but she was less transparent… more layered. More than he ever knew.

She still told him he was annoying. That much, at least, was clear. Everything else seemed to get muddier by the day. There were…moments, he would have to call them… that confused him. The moments when she used to walk away… she lingered. The moments her face turned a delicate pink. Those moments when the world seemed to pause… for both of them.

The game changed- now, there is a new edge, a new version, because now he speculates what Yona would do if she did, in fact, love him, because there are all of these strange, strange moments. It changed because she changed.

 _Why did she blush when I kissed her?_

 _Why did her face light up when I suggested we slip away in town by ourselves?_

 _Why did she give me the talisman?_

 _Why did she cling to me that night, under the stars?_

 _…._

 _…._

 _If I didn't know any better…._

 _…._

 _I would say…._

 _…._

 _…._

 _…._

 _No._

 ** _Definitely_** _not._


	10. Chapter 10

_Set around Chapter 82-83, after Yona fights off Hiyou and is injured._

 _Thank you all for the reviews! Sorry this took so long, but I think it's my longest chapter yet- plus I have had a side project because we need more Hak/Yona. Keep an eye out for a separate Hak/Yona story in the works. :)_

 _Re-reading Akatsuki no Yona, I found this part of the story to hold a few of my favorite moments regarding Yona and Hak's relationship- I had overlooked it for the most part in the first time I read it (maybe I was too caught up in the action to savor the romantic?), but for me at least, it holds a lot about their characters' development and changing dynamic- as well as some foreshadowing to future events in Sei._

* * *

The sight of Yona lying on her stomach, motionless, was the scariest moment of his entire life. Beside him, Kija gasped and Jaeha stiffened, but Hak could not move. He was paralyzed, some part of his brain screaming at him, at the others, at _her_.

"She'll live! She'll live!" were the first words out of Yun when he saw their stricken faces, but Hak could not be so easily convinced, not when she looked that pale. That lifeless.

Kija and Jaeha immediately ducked back Hak to kneel at her side, but he stood still, unable to move. He listened as the rest of them spoke, as Yun relayed what had happened to them.

 _They slashed at her back. Fortunately the wound isn't too deep._ That was good, right? His eyes fixed on a bead of sweat on her brow. Even with a shallow cut, fever was always a danger, even if Yun was taking care.

Terror. Rage. Helplessness.

 _She looks so small._ He often forgot how tiny she was. She was always so lively, so fiery… but so fragile. How could he have forgotten? What had he said?

 _"I'll stay annoyingly close to your side forever."_

But he hadn't done that. He had been caught up in this mission- _her_ mission- but what was it all for if she _died_?

Yun was called away to help the doctor with Tetora, leaving Jaeha and Kija to talk between themselves.

"How on earth…? It all happened while we were away…"

"And the reason we didn't bring the princess to Suirei in the first place was to make sure she'd be safe… to think the principal offender was staying at this inn…"

Their voices trailed off, and Hak could feel their gazes move to him.

"Thunder Beast…" He knew he should acknowledge them, but he wasn't sure he could. His eyes were still on the princess, roving over her bare shoulder, trying to decide if her paleness was due to the injury or simply lack of sun. "Hak. She'll live."

"Hak?" Jaeha stood. His voice was serious. "She is safe." They weren't going to leave him alone, were they? Hak cleared his throat.

"This time," he said- his voice was more of a rasp than a whisper. "I could kill a hundred men to keep her safe. But I can't do anything if I am not there." Both dragons were silent for a moment. Then they were on top of him.

"Siiiiiiiiiiit," they said in unison, pushing him down to the floor. He fell, clumsily, as Jaeha patted his shoulder.

"You make us worried with a face like that. She'll never love you with _that_ hideous grimace on your ugly mug," the Green Dragon crooned. "Kija, Shin-ah, and I will go track this son-of-a-bitch Hiyou down, and you keep an eye on our Princess, eh?"

"Wha-" Jaeha covered the White Dragon's indignant protest.

"You just stay here and watch over her for us. There's a good Hak." A half-hearted insult rose to Hak's lips, but in that moment, Yona groaned softly. Before he knew what was happening, he was across the floor, at her side. Even in her sleep, she looked pained. She must have shifted in her sleep, enough to hurt. _So reckless…._ He reached to pull a strand of her hair out of face, making the geseture as casual as possible for the three onlookers.

"Droopy Eyes, White Snake…." He sighed, then looked over at the pair for the first time since he entered the room. "Give him hell from me." Jaeha flashed him a daggered smile.

"That, I can definitely promise." He tossed the spear Hak's way- the feeling of the weapon in his hand was a small comfort. "Come on, you two-"

Then, with the slam of the door, it was quiet, and all Hak could hear was Yona's soft breaths. Another pesky, short strand of hair had swept across her cheek. Now that everyone else was gone, he gently moved it out of the way, cupping her cheek in the process.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He stiffened as she stirred, nuzzling his palm. He sat very still for a few moments, soothed by the feeling of her even breath on his skin. Then he pulled away.

What was he supposed to do? The sooner they hunted down these Nadai smugglers, the sooner this would be over and she would be safe. That was what he had thought. That was the thought that had sustained him throughout Awa, too. But there were always going to be people who needed help- who Yona _wanted_ to help. Who was he to say she should stop?

It was a long time before she woke.

"Hak… you're back."He was unprepared for the tidal wave of relief that hit him when he heard her voice.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, voice gentle. "Do you want me to call Yun?"

"I'm fine." Typical. "Where is everyone?"

"Yoon is tending to Tetora. The dragons are tracking the smuggler who escaped, Hiyou. Hiyou is the one who delt Nadai to Suirei and helped spread it. It doesn't involved only Suirei. The whole town is corrupted by black market trade.

"I see."

"Will Tetora be alright?"

"Yoon said he'd never let her die, so she should be fine," he said lightly. Yona shifted her weight onto her arms, attempting to get up.

"…Ugh!" He reached out, both agitated and exasperated.

"Please don't move. Tell me if you need anything." Yona blew a strand of hair out of eyes.

"I just want some water." Giving up, she moved back to lie down again, and nearly fell. Hak's arm snaked out around her back. Then he gingerly moved her into a seated position. Her shoulders were bare, and she shivered slightly. He removed his outer robe and draped it over her. She made to move again and he tsked, grabbing her wrist.

"Don't move," he said softly, trying to convey the fervent nature of the request as gently as he could, hoping she would listen. Her head nestled into the crook of his neck. "Please, leave your body in my care." She seemed tense, and coughed when she took a sip. He stared, uncertain if she had managed to get anything down. Usually he would make fun of her about now, but he wasn't in the mood.

"Were you able to drink?" Her face was flushed.

"Y..es." Good. He put down the cup and refilled it, just in case she wanted more. She shook her head.

"Somehow you're acting nice today, Hak." The corner of his lips curled upwards for a moment before he smoothed his expression.

"Un-think-able. Was there ever a time I wasn't nice?" She looked up at him through her long eyelashes.

"Such a big mouth." Then she looked down at her hands.

"Hak, I fought with a sword. I tried to follow what you taught me, and it worked." A bubble of emotion rose inside of him. He was relieved. He was glad he had taught her. He was glad that he had pushed her. He was proud.

But he could not get rid of the overwhelming feeling of wrongness. Of the awareness that this never should have happened.

"If you haven't taught me, I would've been in trouble. So, Hak…" She drifted off as her eyes turned up again to meet his. For a long moment, she stared at him, mouth slightly open. She seemed sad, and he wasn't sure why.

She was right. She fought. She had done very well.

It was he who had failed. Yona looked away suddenly.

"I've had enough water." Her voice wavered.

"Princess?" As he leaned in, he saw tears in her eyes.

"Are you hurting because of your wound? Should I call Yun?"

"No! It's nothing-"

"Nothing? But, you're crying-"

"Hak." She turned to him again, appealing to him, her hand reaching for his arm. "You've done nothing wrong, Hak!" Taken aback, he did nothing but blink. Her eyes darkened. "So you shouldn't always have to take responsibility for my wounds. This is…" Her voice steadied, sounding stronger and more certain. "This is my wound."

 _Hers._

"You shouldn't have wounds," he said, very quietly.

"I will if I continue this path," she said softly. "If I want to keep living."

"You frighten me sometimes," he murmured. He enveloped her hand in his.

"I do? How?" He shook his head, allowing himself to rub her palm with his thumb. Memorizing the calluses- rough edges that _he_ had worn into her, in weeks of training she had ordered him to give her. "You're still being awfully nice, Hak."

"Is it that bad?" he asked dryly. "If you really insist, I'll stop." She laughed, then groaned softly in pain. "You still look terrible, Princess. Go to sleep." To his surprise, she didn't protest at all as he wrapped his arm back around her and lowered her back down to the floor. As he turned away to look at the window, she tugged at his sleeve. He raised a questioning eyebrow, and she colored a little.

"You'll stay?" she asked sheepishly. _She didn't know that by now?_

"Annoyingly close," he promised, then waggled his fingers at her. " _Sleeeeep_." She relaxed, nodded, and closed her eyes. Hak sighed, running his hand through his hair.

Her tears left him feeling unsettled. He didn't want to make her cry. He didn't want her to be upset that he felt responsible. But how could he not? She looked at him with that same fierce conviction, with the strength of a Queen, as she did in Awa. And she had succeeded today- she was right, she had survived to this point because he had taught her the sword, and he was glad and grateful and proud, but it wasn't enough for him. It wouldn't be enough until she was untouchable. Invincible. An impossible dream.

But it was her willingness to see these crusades to the end that scared him. That she was not longer protected in a castle with scores of guards under royal decree. That she was going to be vulnerable. That she was determined to be on the front lines.

He kept thinking- all of this time- that he would always be there to protect her. But he was wrong about that. As much as he wanted to deny it, there were some fights she might have to face alone.


	11. Chapter 11

While it's in character, the level of fluffiness may be a little of the order of the timeline of events. But the level of fluff recently in the manga has inspired this installment. Part one of two. So I hope you enjoy!

It was the festival of the Maehwa- the first of the month the plum blossoms' first blooms of the year, the harbinger of spring and the sowing of the crops. In the wind clan's territory, they would wait a few more weeks, but then the rice planters would be out in the fields. At the Palace, the heart of the Sky Clan, the king held a festival for four days' time, to celebrate the end of winter and coming of spring. Which also meant...

"Suitors," Yona grumbled. "Four days of prattling, borish suitors." Although he arrived to keep clear of the subject for his own reasons, Hak privately agreed with her assessment- he would have thought the king-who adored his daughter and treasured her above all else- would be more selective in the caliper of these men who sought the princess's hand. But it wasn't his place to encourage her current line of thinking...

Besides, there were a few that had not been soooo bad. Those were the ones he disliked the most.

"Any returning ones?" He asked, trying to flatten any emotion out of his voice. _Bored. I should try to sound bored._ Yona scowled.

"The lord's son from Xing. And that nobleman twenty years our senior. And…." She slumped. "Tae-Jun." Hak couldn't help it. He laughed. None of the guests that evening were remotely interesting, or stood any hope of winning the slightest of her affections away from Soo-won. Now assuaged that none of the festival guests were within wooing distance of her, he could tease...

"Ahhhh you never know. Maehwa is one of the most romantic times on the year. Maybe among all the fluttering petals, one of them will prevail-" Yona's nose wrinkled.

"Ya! Never!"

"Never? Even standing in the moonlight-"

"Ugh! Hak!" she squawked, covering her face.

"And Lord Fen-yi has the distinct advantages of both wisdom and experience at his age-"

"He could be our father, Hak."

"-both of which might recommend him to the ladies-"

"HAK!" she groaned, burying her head in his arm. A loose tangle of her red hair brushed up against his fingertips. "Enough."

"If you insist, Hime," he replied, allowing himself to curl the loose lock of hair gently around his finger. It was the closest they would ever get- he didn't really see any harm in it.

"I'm almost sixteen, Hak." She was serious now. "And Father keeps insisting I at least make a point to engage with Tae Jun, since he's the son of a clan leader..." Suddenly she perked up. Hak let her lock of hair tumble out of his fingertips as she looked up at him. "Nee, Hak, you're the son of a clan leader." As much as the implication made his heart race, the gleam in Yona's eye -the calculating, gloating gleam- made him more wary than hopeful.

"Adopted," he reminded her. "Adopted-"

"So if I spend all my time with you tonight, Father can't say I didn't make an effort!" She concluded triumphantly.

"Gods above, Hime." He glowered.

"And I don't have to make any empty promises, or encourage some odious man to follow me around day after day!" she added.

"Yes, because I would never be encouraged to follow _you_ around all day, every day," her bodyguard retorted, voice thick with sarcasm.

"What, Hak? It's not like you are committed to anyone!" There was a long pause. She turned to him quizzically. "Are you?" Her eyes widened when Hak, still struggling with a myriad of emotions, failed to respond immediately. " _Really?_ Who?" He sighed.

"No, no one." Her eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure?" He snorted.

"Of course I am. I was just astounded that you assumed I'd be at your beck and call all evening." She peered over at him.

"Aren't you?"

"Yes, but shouldn't you _ask_ -"

"Hak." She waited, serenely, until Hak raised an eyebrow in question. "Will you spend the night with me?" _Gods. Above._

"You don't have to say it like that!" he sputtered. She huffed.

"You wanted me to ask, so I did!" Yona grabbed his hand. "And you do that all the time, so this isn't really all that different. Now come on!"


End file.
